Foldable Container For Loose Tobacco And Foldable Case Incorporating The Same

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates in particular to a foldable container ( 1 ) for loose tobacco, which is delimited by two longitudinal walls ( 10, 11 ) which have a common longitudinal edge ( 101 ), and by two opposite transverse walls ( 12, 13 ) shaped like bellows, characterized by the fact that said transverse walls ( 12, 13 ) shaped like bellows consist of five successive pleats (P 1,  P 2,  P 3,  P 4,  P 5 ), and that the two adjoining transverse wall elements ( 122, 123 ) which constitute at least one (P 4 ) of said pleats are configured to occupy either a first position in which they form a re-entrant corner, or a second position in which they form an outer corner and thus constitute a pouring spout.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of smokers' supplies. It relates more particularly to a container for mixing loose tobacco, as well as a foldable case which contains such a container.

TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Numerous smokers roll their own cigarettes. To do this, they have at their disposal a tobacco pouch, a pad of cigarette paper sheets and filters if desired.

In order to allow these persons to accomplish a homogeneous mixture of tobaccos of different types and/or in order to untangle clumped tobacco fibers, a foldable container for loose tobacco is known in the prior art, which is delimited by two longitudinal walls which have a common longitudinal edge, and by two opposite transverse walls shaped like bellows.

The user places in this container a predetermined quantity of loose tobacco, proceeds with mixing it or untangling it and pours it on a cigarette paper sheet. Generally, he performs this by gently tilting the container over the sheet of paper. It is easily understood that this requires a certain dexterity, and the risks of pouring tobacco other than on the aforementioned sheet are high.

The present invention has as its object to improve the container described above in order for the operation of transferring tobacco is considerably facilitated without necessarily requiring particular dexterity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To this end, the present invention therefore proposes a foldable container for loose tobacco, which is delimited by two longitudinal walls which have a common longitudinal edge, and by two opposite transverse walls shaped like bellows, characterized by the fact that said transverse walls shaped like bellows consist of five successive pleats, and that the two contiguous transverse wall elements which constitute at least one of said pleats are configured to occupy either a first position in which they form a re-entrant corner, or a second position in which in which they form an outer corner and thus constitute a pouring spout.

Thus, thanks to the presence of this pouring spout, the tobacco to be transferred is progressively channeled in the form of a narrow and continuous bead which is guided and received without difficulty on the cigarette paper sheet.

According to other non-limiting and advantageous features of this container, taken alone or in any combination:

it is made of cardboard or of a cardboard-based material.

it is in one piece, i.e. consisting of a single and sole blank having a plurality of fold lines;

it is formed of a first blank which delimits said longitudinal walls, as well as two identical additional blanks each of which delimits a transverse wall, each additional blank being attached to said first blank.

The invention also relates to a foldable case which includes a plurality of panes contiguous two by two, characterized by the fact that it incorporates a container according to one of the preceding features.

According to other non-limiting and advantageous features of this container, taken alone or in any combination:

said longitudinal walls of the container are attached respectively to two contiguous panes;

it includes a set of cardboard strips configured to constitute cigarette filters;

it includes a pad of cigarette paper sheets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention. This description is made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container conforming to the invention, shown in a first position;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a cardboard blank with can, once folded, constitute a container like that of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, the container being shown here in a second position which allows the tobacco which it contains to be easily poured onto a cigarette paper sheet (not shown);

FIG. 4 is an enlarge view of a portion of the container of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a foldable case which incorporates a container according to the invention, this case occupying here a fully unfolded position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The container 1 according to the invention which is shown in the appended figures, and more particularly in FIGS. 1 to 4, is preferably made of cardboard or of cardboard-based material. It can indiscriminately be a single- or multi-layer material.

This container 1 is advantageously a single piece, i.e. consisting of a single and sole blank F which has a plurality of fold lines, as shown in FIG. 2.

It is delimited by two longitudinal walls 10 and 11 and two transverse walls 12 and 13 shaped like bellows. The inner volume of the container, the bottom of which has the general shape of a dihedral, is labeled E.

This dihedral is formed by the longitudinal walls 10 and 11 which have and elongated rectangular shape, with large longitudinal edges 100 and 101, respectively 101 and 110. The edge 101 is common to the two walls and constitutes a folding edge, as can be easily understood by comparing FIGS. 1 and 2.

The respective transverse faces 102 and 103, 112 and 113 of the walls 10 and 11 also constitute folding edges and form a transition zone with the transverse walls 12 and 13.

As is clearly visible in FIG. 2, these walls 12 and 13, when they are completely unfolded (i.e. flat) are inscribed in a semicircle of which the diameter is embodied by the aforementioned edges 102 and 112 on the one hand, 103 and 113 on the other hand.

Each of these walls 12 and 13 consists of wall elements 120 and 123 on the one hand, 130 and 133 on the other hand, consisting of identical fractions of a circle. And the fold lines which separate, two by two, these wall elements have been labeled L1, L2 and L3.

Under these conditions, when passing from the completely unfolded (flat) position of FIG. 2 to the partially folded position of FIG. 1, it is noted that the transverse walls 12 and 13 include five pleats P1 through P5, the end pleats P1 and P5 consisting of the ends of the longitudinal walls 10 and 11, associated with the wall elements 120 and 123 on the one hand, 130 and 133 on the other hand.

Thus, this container 1 supplies a large volume E into which loose tobacco can be poured. However, during a period of non-use, it is possible to fold the container in such a manner that the wall elements 120 to 123 and 130 to 133 are on contact two by two. Thus, it occupies a minimum of volume.

As mentioned above and with reference to FIG. 3, loose tobacco T can be poured into the container 1 to accomplish a homogeneous mixture and/or to untangle the tobacco fibers.

In conformity with an essential feature of the invention, the two adjoining transverse wall elements which constitute at least one of the pleats P1 to P5 are configured to occupy either a first position in which they form a re-entrant corner, or a second position in which the form an outer corner and thus constitute a pouring spout.

More precisely and with reference to FIG. 1, the pleats P2 and P4 form a re-entrant corner, i.e. a corner oriented toward the volume E (toward the opposite transverse wall). However, by pulling on one of these pleats in the direction of the arrow g of FIG. 1, it is possible to give this pleat (in this case one of the two pleats P4) an exactly reversed orientation, i.e. it then forms an outer corner. Naturally, this also applies to the second pleat P4 and for the two pleats P2.

Thus and as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wall elements 122 and 123 which constitute the pleat P4 embody as it were a pouring spout B or a channel which is advantageously utilized to allow pouring the tobacco T out of the container in the form of a narrow, continuous and unidirectional bead N which is guided and received without difficulty on the cigarette paper sheet (not shown here).

In one embodiment not shown in the figures, the container 1 can be formed from a first blank which delimits said longitudinal walls 10 and 11, as well as two identical additional blanks each of which delimits a transverse wall 12, respectively 13, each additional blank being attached to the first blank, for example by gluing.

This container can be used alone, i.e. as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

However, and preferably, it can be integrated into a foldable case 2 like that shown in FIG. 5.

This case 2, made of cardboard for example, includes here five foldable panes 20 to 24, contiguous two by two.

A container 1 is incorporated into it at the panes 22 and 23, for example by gluing of its walls 10 and 11 on these panes.

Also noted is the presence on the pane 20 of a set 3 of cardboard strips configured to constitute cigarette filters. Such strips are for example described in document FR3057441.

The case 2 is also provided, in the example shown here, with a pad 4 of cigarette paper sheets, which is attached to the end pane 24.

Naturally, the arrangement of the container 1, assembly 3 and pad 4 is given only by way of an example, these elements being able to be arranged otherwise.

An elastic 25 equips the case 2, so as to hold it in a compact position when the panes 20 to 24 are folded over one another. 

1. A foldable container for loose tobacco, which is delimited by two longitudinal walls which have a common longitudinal edge, and by two opposite transverse walls shaped like bellows, wherein said transverse walls shaped like bellows consist of five successive pleats, and that the two adjoining transverse wall elements which constitute at least one of said pleats are configured to occupy either a first position in which they form a re-entrant corner, or a second position in which they form an outer corner and thus constitute a pouring spout.
 2. The container according to claim 1, which is made of cardboard or of a cardboard-based material.
 3. The container according to claim 1, which is in one piece, i.e. consisting of a single and sole blank having a plurality of fold lines.
 4. The container according to claim 1, which is formed of a first blank which delimits said longitudinal walls, as well as two identical additional blanks each of which delimits a transverse wall, each additional blank being attached to said first blank.
 5. A foldable case which includes a plurality of panes contiguous two by two, wherein it incorporates a container according to claim
 1. 6. The case according to claim 5, wherein said longitudinal walls of the container are attached respectively to two contiguous panes.
 7. The case according to claim 5, wherein it includes a set of cardboard strips configured to constitute cigarette filters.
 8. The case according to claim 5, wherein it includes a pad of cigarette paper sheets. 